Born to Run
by TehTimmah
Summary: Speed was freedom, it was passion, it was a rush unlike any other A bit of a story exploring GoGo's need for speed. rated T for some swearing
1. Chapter 1

"I didn't expect you to come and see me, and I really didn't expect you to come today of all days" Robert Callaghan said from behind the glass in the prisons visiting room, studying the messy haired youth that sat opposite him. "Yeah" Hiro Hamada said with a bit of a shrug, before his expression went serious "There was a long time, when I never would have thought I would come see you either, but things have a tendency to change." He paused a moment before continuing "This last year I came to understand. Holidays, his birthday, my birthday. Important times became times of pain because Tadashi was not there any more to share them, and I began to slowly understand" For a moment the two just sat there, looking at each other, then once again Hiro spoke. "Look, I won't lie. There is still a part of me that wishes you would spend the rest of your life in guilt and sorrow for what you've done. Another part of me that is glad Tadashi never saw what a man he was willing to die to try and save, did, but those parts of my mind grow smaller as time passes. You would think, the anniversary of his death they would be loudest, but they aren't. He always wanted to help people, to make things better. More than that, Tadashi taught me how to forgive, and more than wanting you to suffer, it's his memory, and the part of him that is always with me, that wants you to know I understand, and I forgive you, and I wish you peace" With those words Hiro stood, and left. Neither man seeing the moisture in the others eyes."

"How was it?" Gogo Tamago said as he stepped out of the prison where she stood waiting. Her arm snaking around his shoulder for a brief hug before letting go and leading the way to her bike. "better than I expected," Hiro said, giving the briefest and faintest of smiles. "I wasn't sure at first if I really could, but face to face like that, forgiveness actually came easier than I expected it would." "good" she said with a nod, climbing on to the modified street bike, and putting her helmet on, "I'm proud of you," she said as she closed the visor so that he wouldn't see her lips move, as she whispered, "I don't know yet if I can" Stilling her breath and biting down hard on the gum in her mouth a moment she reached down and turned the key on her bike and the gauges before her lit up reflecting blue light off her black helmet visor while she felt Hiro settle himself on the seat behind. This wasn't the same bike as the one in the lab. The frame and chassis where from a street racing bike, but the power plant and drive, that was all Gogo. Electric power plant, and electromagnetic suspension powered by two high capacity power cells, which read at 87% charge, gave it a top speed and performance that satisfied even her need for speed, well almost anyway. "Hold tight" She said with a tight grin as she kicked the stand back up into place and hit the throttle.  
The electric motors that drove the bike where, in theory near limitless in speed, the more power sent, the faster they would spin. Of course even they had their limits, and too much power would burn them out, so of course there was a governing capacitor setup in place to limit the top speed, but even that was getting awfully close to the two hundred miles per hour range. What Wasabi called 'suicide speed' when she first told them of it specs. Still, during the day, and especially with a passenger on board, she kept it down to the posted speeds as she threaded her way down the familiar streets until she came to a stop outside the 'Lucky Cat Cafe' "wanna come in for a coffee?" Hiro asked as he swung down from the seat. "Nah," She replied, I'm going to head on up to the lab, run a diagnostic on this girl, see how she's performing, and recharge the cells." "Alrighty, have fun" hiro said turning to go before turning back "hey, Gogo, Aunt Cass and I are going to go up to the cemetery tonight. If you wanted to come that would be okay." "Dunno," Gogo said with a bit of a shrug, I'll think about it" With that she waved, then pulled off into traffic and was gone.

 **A/N This is only my second story submitted here. If you like it, or see things that need work on, please leave a review.**


	2. Chapter 2

Rolling the bike into the lab, smirking slightly at the memory of the times she would ride her original pedal bike in, at speeds that even she had to admit, might have been a tad excessive for dodging people, she parked it next to the terminal used for diagnostics and removed her helmet and set it down next to the new design helmet that Hiro and Wasabi had been working on as a bit of a side project. They had given it to her to field test, as it contained a few tweaks that they where thinking of adding to their hero suits, and a couple of others they hoped to put on the market. Plugging the bike into the terminal she sat down and watched the data it's on-board computer had collected, on battery heat, engine heat, power consumption. For the most part, everything looked good. One of the two batteries was draining faster than it's counterpart. Something she would have to test on in the future, to determine if it was a fault in the cell itself, in the tandem connection, or something else. Still it all seemed good, everything was good, except for her. Deciding to clear her head, she rose. "why the hell not?" she said to herself, as she grabbed the new helmet off the table, leaving her old as she rolled her bike out once more.

She hadn't been to Tadashi's grave since the funeral, there just never seemed to be a good time. Now though she sat there, as the stars one by one appeared, and poured her heart out. "The worst part about it Tadashi, is I know he meant it, when he said he had come to forgive Callaghan." She said, holding back the tears that threatened to emerge. "You where his brother, his mentor, and his only friend. How can he find it within him to forgive, and I can't? How can he move on and be happy again, when I can't, what's wrong with me? Fuck this shit," she said at last and rose, heading back down to her bike, and the streets of San Fransokyo

 **A/N A short stubby chapter. I had the hardest time actually with this little part of the story. Needing something to tie the beginning and the end. Hope you're enjoying it so far, and now, on to the conclusion**


	3. Chapter 3

Speed was what she needed tonight. At this time of night, well Wasabi would have insisted it was morning, if he weren't already well into his sleep schedule, the highways out of town where dead, empty. The thought about Wasabi calling it morning brought back another memory of Tadashi, from one of the groups past all-nighters, when he was giving Wasabi a hard time. "If it's still dark, and I haven't gone to bed yet, it's still night" He insisted. Just one more of the many ways he used to make her smile. With that memory came others. Caught up once again in the speed, her mind flowed freely. Like that April Fool's when he managed to prank everyone in the lab, in a way that had them each thinking it was one of the other members who got them, it took them all day to sort out who the real culprit was. He was so much the hub of the group, everyone turning their own ways, but connected through him, and now he was gone. Feeling that tug on her heart again, Gogo did what she always did when pain came, and she hit the throttle. Running away from it, harder and faster.

The center line on the black highway began to blur as she took the bike up to full throttle, Leaning so hard into the corners that only speed and her skill kept her upright. Wasabi wasn't entirely right when he called this 'suicide speed' because she didn't want to die, she just sometimes wanted to stop feeling, stop thinking, stop remembering, and stop hurting. She almost reached that state too, until she came around a corner and there in font of her was a tractor trailer just starting around the next bend. At this speed she would be on top of it before it cleared the corner, and she would never make that turn without using both lanes. "shit" was all she had time to say before she released throttle and grabbed for the brakes.

Speed dropped fast. She designed things for speed, but she was smart enough to know that as fast as you could go, you had to stop too. The electric anti-locking worked perfectly She had control, and was slowing. 175,160,145,110. Every time her eyes flickered across the digital display it dropped and was dropping faster and faster. 98,75,60,53. Speed bled away but then she looked up and sighed, she had run out of road. She Leaned hard into the corner as it came, and knew it just wasn't going to be enough. There was only one thing to do, and she layed it over completely. Time slowed as she watched the pavement come closer, and she thoguth back to earlier that day, and wonderied if Hiro could forgive her as easily as he forgave Callaghan, if she didn't make it. Then as the road reached up to meet her she felt a sudden wash of pain, and as her helmet bounced for a second time she felt nothing more.

"You know Ethel" Tadashi said, his arms folded across his chest as he looked down at her. "Running away from your pain has to end sometime. No matter how far, no matter how fast you run, you eventually have to stop, and the pain will still be there." "But when I run I'm free" She protested. "and as long as I'm going it doesn't hurt so much" "Free, yes" Tadashi said as he knelt down beside her. "Free but alone. Don't you see? Your pain will always catch up to you, no matter how far you run Gogo, but you leave behind the friends that will help you with it, and you leave behind the people who need you." Tears began to flow from her eyes as she looked up to meet his, tears she hadn't cried in far too long. "Ethel, I wasn't the heart of the group that kept it together, it was you, it was Honey, it was Wasabi, it was Fred, and now it's Hiro and Baymax as well. Each of you supports the others, and they will support you too. Now, wake up, and promise you won't run away from them anymore. Hiro's worried about you"

 **A/N Yes, I decided to use the name the voice actor gave GoGo rather than her name from the comics. She's supposedly Korean so a Japanese name really didn't work anyway. Also, I was going to finish it off with this chapter, but it seemed to long so I split it.**


	4. Chapter 4

"Scan complete. She has a moderate concussion, two cracked ribs, and a hairline fracture on her right Ulna that will require support" Came the familiar, and welcoming sound of Baymax's voice though she thought it sounded as if it was echoing through a dark cavern. as her eyes opened she found Hiro looking down at her, carefully removing her helmet. "umm, Hi" She said as her eyes tried to focus, "Don't 'hi' me" Hiro said as he tossed her helmet to the side, his expression a mix of fear, anger, and relief. "How could you do this to me, to all of us, on tonight of all nights!" He practically spat out as he lay her head in his lap. "If we hadn't been testing an auto call in case of accidents in your helmet, you would still be laying out here, alone, and none of us would have known anything. The others are on their way, in Wasabi's car, Baymax, call Honey and tell her Gogo's okay" "Calling now" Baymax said quietly well Hiro again looked down into Gogo's eyes, stopping as she reached up an hand, unsteadily to grab his arm "I'm sorry Hiro," she said quietly, "I will explain everything to you and everyone later, I'll explain why...but right now, I'm sorry" Any other conversation was silenced as the sounds of approaching sirens could be heard, Hiro reaching out and grabbing his hero suit helmet, and putting it on, and slipping into the role of stranger and hero, rather than her friend as the flashing lights split the night.

"Yes, she will be coming with me, there will be someone to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't have any problems" Honey Lemon told the ER Nurse at the desk as Wasabi and Hiro stood back, the tall black man pacing a bit, while Hiro slumped against the hospital wall, his racing mind fighting a losing battle with his tired body, glad that he added that extra storage compartment in Baymax's armour and insisted that everyone in the team put together an outfit they could wear over their hero suits, even if it meant ditching the armor. That his pullover hoodie and baggy cargo pants looked like he had slept in them by this point, really didn't matter. As Honey lemon finished talking with the nurse, and as an afterthought grabbing a pamphlet on concussions they looked up to see Gogo coming down the hall, her arm in a sling, her expression rather blank, even for her, and it was obvious she was finding walking to take some actual effort, let alone walking straight, as her shoulder bumped against the wall more than once. Honey Lemon and Hiro both moved to flank her, in silence, the tall blonde wrapping an arm around her friends shoulder lightly, but not saying anything besides a "come on, we're taking you to bed."

Somehow it didn't surprise her when they ended up at Fred's house. Right now nothing surprised her, that would require more focus than she could muster. Not even the fact that Heathcliff met them at the door, dressed as perfectly as ever, and looking quite as if he had been awake for some time. Fred on the other hand looked..well like fred. He wore a pair of Iron Man pajamas, and huge cartoon Yoda slippers. even she had to snort in laughter at the look, and of course regretted it right away as it put pressure on her cracked ribs. "c'mon guys. Beds are all ready. Baymax is waiting for Gogo, and the rest of you look like zombies, only you know, not quite so dead, and like you don't smell" That was Fred for you, Gogo thought to herself, he always had a way with words. just not a 'good' way. She leaned ever so slightly into Honey's side as the taller girl helped her to the room that had become 'hers' on the nights when the whole gang ended up crashing at the mansion. "Hello Gogo, Hello Honey Lemon" Baymax said his white marshmallow form seeming to almost glow blue in the dim light from the LCD night lights that marked the attached bathroom, and where the only source of illumination in the room. Before Honey flicked the light switch by the door. The sudden flood of light caused Gogo to grown and grab her head. "the painkillers you recieved at the hospital are beginning to wear off," Baymax said in response, there are others on the nightstand, along with water. Please take some, and then I would suggest you get some sleep." "That sounds like a good idea," she agreed following her words with actions. Knocking back the pills with a swig of water before laying down on the overlarge bed. She was out before she knew it, and did not see the sad, worried look in her friends eyes, or her the softly whispered 'goodnight'

"I'm scared." She said looking up to meet Tadashi's eyes. "I'm scared they are going to be angry and hurt. " "They will," He said with a soft smile, "but they will also forgive you, because you're their friend, and that's what they do." "What about you?" she asked finally. "I forgave you a long time ago," Tadashi said reaching out to ruffle her hair the way he would so often do to Hiro, and she just let him, eyes turning down to hide the tears filling up her eyes. "Fred will forgive you, because he's Fred. Honey Lemon will forgive you because she loves you more than ever you know, Wasabi is more like you in this then you have ever realized, and will not only forgive you, but understand, and Hiro...Ah my brother has a bigger heart than even I realized you know. " Gogo didn't look up when she felt Tadashi's hand leave her head, only to be replaced with the softest feeling of a kiss, and then she knew nothing again until morning light woke her up.

"Baymax, where is everyone?" She asked rising slowly, and painfully from the bed, unsurprised to find herself still dressed in the clothes she wore yesterday. "They are downstairs gathered around the dinning room table. Hypothesis, they are having breakfast." "Thank you, would you go and tell them I am awake," feeling a rumble in her guts, and a sudden wave of nausea wash over her, added "and maybe see if I could have some dry toast, and a cup of green tea?" "of course Gogo" The nursebot said before waddling sideways out of the room. Watching Baymax leave she turned to the mirror over the vanity looking at herself with a sigh. If anything she actually looked worse than she felt.

After nibbling on her toast, she gathered everyone in Fred's room, having them all sit down on the couch where they first discussed the idea of becoming heroes, and where they still gathered to discuss things outside their normal lives more often then anywhere else. "I owe you all an apology...and an explanation" She said with sigh, looking down into her cup of tea, not yet ready to meet the eyes of her friends. "it started in about eighth grade, my family moved to Seattle and I left all my old friends behind...I was small compared to everyone around me then...I was pushed around a lot..it's why I have no patience for bullies, but it also, it's why I have a hard time letting anyone in. I started doing anything to 'fit skateboarding, BMX tricks, and not only was i good at it, but it brought me some friends, only you know, they weren't really friends. Not a good crowd to be with, but they proided company who I didn't really care about, so they couldn't hurt me, and they provided other ways of escape..."

Finally she looked up, and what surprised her most was that there where no judging looks on any of her friends faces, what there was, was understanding. "When doing the skateboard or bike tricks and stuff, I didn't feel anything, I was free. It was just me, and whatever I was doing, and just enough thought in what I was doing to pull it off, but well, that didn't last, but with the alcohol, and the drugs too, I could not feel for hours on end, and I did some really stupid stuff then too. Stuff that if I ever got caught for would have ended any chance of living this life. I'm not gonna say what now...maybe sometime, but right now that's not important." Sipping her tea she set it down and got up turning her back to the group , shoulders slumping somewhat. "I was at a house party one night, when the cops showed up. I went out an upstairs window while they where coming in the front door, grabbed a bike. I don't even know who's and tossed it over the back fence, and I escaped, in more ways then one. I don't know if it was some of the leftover shit in my system or what, but as I hit a long hill, peddling for all I was worth, and the speed hit me, everything just faded away. It was a rush I had never felt before. "

My family moved again, this time to L.A. and I entered tenth grade, and again I was alone, but this time it was a good thing. I actually paid attention in school, I didn't care if I had friends, and well, I actually ended up with a few. I found out what it was like again to actually have people I liked and cared about, and this time, there was no drugs, no alcohol, and besides I had a new rush. When things got bad, when things hurt, I went and I went fast, and I left it all behind. When I couldn't deal, I could run away, and for a little while I was free. Most of the time, after I cleared my head, I could come back and tackle what was brining me down, but sometimes things happened when all I could do was run, that's what happened last night. Tadashi's death, it was just too much. When I brought Hiro back, and I found in myself that I just couldn't forgive Callaghan. I missed him, and I was ashamed. He was my best friend, but he was Hiro's brother. I was sad, I was angry, I was ashamed...and I ran. I shouldn't...I shouldn't hold myself apart...I know you guys care, and I know in my head I can trust you, but..." Her words fell sillent into tears, and then suddenly there where arms around her, arounder her shoulders, her back, even around her waist, and there where tears, lots of tears, and not all of them where hers.

"Don't even think it kid" She said giving Hiro's arm a punch when he caught him looking at the people in the restaurants lounge drinking at the bar. While they stood around together waiting for a table to be made ready. Hiro looked up at her then with a smile. "I wasn't, I was just thinking about last year. and I'm glad you decided to set this up..I think it is good to not be alone today for any of us...and I think Tadashi would like it to know we're all gathering to remember the good things." Smiling he looked around at their group. Wasabi wore a sweater and dark slacks, the colar of a shirt and tie showing in the neck. Honey Lemon, a dress of light blue and a sweater of her own, the same colour as Wasabi's oddly enough. Aunt Cass wore a skirt in a bright colour that he knew she didn't own, it had Honey Lemon's fingerprints all over it, and it made her look good. Fred was actually cleaned up nicely, in slacks and a lavendar dress shirt. His own slacks and sweater combination came straight from Wasabi, and then there was Gogo. He wasn't sure if that was the same dress she wore to Tadashi's funeral, but this time with a deep purple sweater rather than the black, it gave her a look of life far removed from his memories of that night. So did her faint, but present smile, that grew a bit more as she punched his arm again. Things where going to be alright.

 **A/N well, a long chapter, but that wraps up this story. Though I have ideas for a semi-sequel. Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing.**


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